Achieve 2gb RAM???

[emeraldgirl08]

Hi. I just bought a T30 from EBay and it has only 256 MB of RAM. I know it has the memory slot issue and would like to purchase 1 gig RAM to make up for broke slot. I have been reading some of the threads and see that people have somehow increased the max RAM to 2g's!!!

I will gladly throw down thirty to forty dollars for 1 gb of RAM if it means increased performance!!! I went into this knowing that for the money I spent I wouldn't be getting a gaming comp. I have found that some good programs require more than 256 MB of RAM just to even run! I can't live with that. I can't even get Firefox to get going at this point!

If anyone can tell me how to get me going on the way to 2gb of RAM- I would extremely appreciate it!!! Oh and the 2.0 USB support would be nice!

Thank you.

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to our forum.
A T30 in good condition can take 2x 1GB PC2100 (or PC2700, which are easier to get) SODIMMs.
If one slot is not working (usually the one nearest to the front of the laptop), you can still put in 1GB.
That's enough to get most everything running smoothly (XP Pro, but not Windows Vista...).
There are a number of descriptions in the T23/T30 forum, on how to fix the 2nd memory slot.

USB 2.0 is not possible with the built-in USB, that's USB 1.1.
But you can buy PCMCIA cards with 2 or 4 USB 2.0 slots, or even a combination of 2 USB 2.0 plus a Firewire port.

Hope this answers you initial question.

[emeraldgirl08]

As I'm new to this site. I have tons of questions. I'm guessing from what I see that I got the factory set T30.

It didn't have XP Pro SP2 or SP3. It had Adobe Reader 5 (lol) and Internet Explorer 6! I guess I need to update drivers and the BIOS from the Lenovo site. Now I'm a little more confused because I don't know which drivers apply to comp.

Anyhow I'll keep looking. Thanks for the answer!

[RealBlackStuff]

Best advice at the moment to make everything run WAY smoother, is to get 1 stick of 1GB RAM, like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/SODIMM-1GB-PC2700-1 ... 0375703478

Companies like hammerheadtech.com can repair your motherboard.

[tfflivemb2]

Welcome aboard!

Yes, T30's can handle up to 2gb of ram as RBS stated. With the dead ram slot, you can only get up to 1GB, using the back slot, if the front one is in fact dead. There are people on here that will repair it for you, you might just have to search for threads regarding the T30 slot repair.

As for the drivers for your machine, you have several options:
1. Use System Update to download all of the drivers that are needed for your machine. (If you already have an OS installed and can connect to the internet.
2. Use another computer and go HERE to put in your T30's information, and you will be able to see which drivers are specific to your machine.
3. Pick up a copy of T30 recovery Disks, which will include all of your basic drivers, then revert back to step 1 for updates.

If you need copies of the disks, I can send you a copy set for $8 shipped (in the US). (I collect Recovery Disks for as many model Thinkpads as I can, so that I know that I can always get a Thinkpad up and running)

EDIT: RBS posted a response, as I was typing this one up...

[emeraldgirl08]

Thanks a lot guys! I am going to check on which slot is playing hooky! I do have a lot of things updated. I had a hard time connecting to a wifi spot (it seems the internal wireless is weak; my Dell Axim X30 get's better reception) but finally got one. I updated to SP2 first of all and then put Adobe Reader 9, a registry cleaner, antivirus (there was none), spyware remover, and a couple of small necessities on it!

After this is when I noticed the slow speed.

Okay wish me luck guys! This is my first comp and it seems I'll be taking a "crash course" in comp repair and software

Cheers!

[tfflivemb2]

I know that this is taboo to say, but with a T30, I have had much better luck connecting to Wi-Fi when using windows to manage my wireless. I have had poor luck with Access Connections, the IBM software for handling wireless. I have gotten to the point that I don't use Access Connections on any machine other than my T61.

Good luck!

[emeraldgirl08]

Okay. I got some time on my hands this PM.

Is there a way to find out which of my RAM is faulty??? I am going to order the 1gb of RAM and want to make sure it's the front. Does it even matter which slot I put the 1 gb into???

I ran a memtest 86 on it and it only tested the working slot but that doesn't help as to if it's the front or rear slot.

Thanks!

[RealBlackStuff]

There's an easy way to test the RAM.
If you take out both sticks (or just the one if that's what you have), then boot up, it should beep in 1-3-3-1 sequences.

Next switch off, put 1 stick in the front slot and boot up. If beep 1-3-3-1, the front slot is faulty (assuming the RAM stick is OK).
Next switch off, put the same stick in the rear slot and boot up. If beep 1-3-3-1, the rear slot is faulty (assuming the RAM stick is OK).
If both slots beeped, that RAM stick is faulty, try the other one and repeat as above.

Since you have been online, at least one RAM slot is working, that's the one you should put in the 1GB stick when you get it.

You can download the Hardware Maintenance Manual here:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-42308
It's full of illustrations and directions to take the whole T30 apart, if you are so inclined.
A Must-Have!

To make things easier for all of us, you should put the Type/Model info (e.g. T30 2366-87U) in your Signature (using the User Control Panel). See my signature at the bottom of my posts.

PS: emerald girl from the Emerald Isle? I'm Irish too

[emeraldgirl08]

Okay. So this PM I updated my BIOS to 2.10 (was 2.04) and the embedded controller to 1.07 (was 1.03). This was a pretty nerve-wracking process! I was praying some freak electrical mishap would not arise!



It went smoothly. Now I have the latest BIOS. I've just gotten done downloading the PDF Hardware Manual so I'm going to check out which memory slot is broke.

I noticed something about the new BIOS in the read-me doc- Does my card now have b/g support??? Do I have to update drivers on my card? Get a new one?

[RealBlackStuff]

IF you would have a b/g card, it would support it now.
Look in your Device Manager, it'll tell you what card you have.
The original b-only card will not perform as a b/g card, unless you/someone changed the card!

[emeraldgirl08]

Okay. Finally pried the memory access bay and found only one stick of RAM installed. I found it in the forward part of the laptop. I am a little squeamish about just yanking it out

These are the specs that I could see on that stick of RAM:

IBM 256 MB PC 2100 CL 2.5 32X64
IBM P/N Z H/C S/N 38L3903Z FPMXX 37102V

I'm not sure how many pins are on it or if it's a low-density (does it matter???) It seems that it's a stock stick of RAM. If I go ahead and purchase the 1 gb of RAM it should work in the front right? I will try the back but still need to read the hardware PDF first. I also need to read more about the sequence of beeps for RAM later on today.

Thanks guys and have a good day

[RealBlackStuff]

That's 1 stick of 256MB RAM. You can leave that in, and add the new 1GB in the other slot, giving you a total of 1.25GB
To check if the other slot works, just gently pry the metal parts on the short sides a little apart, the RAM will pop up. Pull it at an angle towards you, then flip it over and put it in the other slot, again, insert at an angle until fully in, then push it down until it 'snaps' in.
If it boots up now, you are in luck with 2 working slots.

[emeraldgirl08]

This is good news for me!

I swapped memory and the other slot is working

I wasn't so sure it would because in the ebay descript it said there was one non-working memory slot. Someone must have been half-tanked when they did testing on it

I read somewhere there was an aftermarket memory slot cover for the T30. If there is I'd really like to find out!

Now to do some Nancy Drewing for wireless connection troubles.

[Harryc]

I've seen instances on T30's where one brand of RAM will work while another may not, so the seller might not have necessarily been 'tanked', but might have tried different RAM than you did. Also, the solder connections are tiny and if cracked might work one tine and not another depending on the pressure or position of the stick in the slot. So it might work now, but ....

[emeraldgirl08]

Update:

Okay. Things came up that limited my RAM budget severely.

Rats.

I went ahead and ordered a stick of 512 DDR SODIMM 200 pins CL 2.5.

Please tell me this will work! I pretty much have all the programs I'm going to be using on this right now and it's like watching paint dry when accessing things. I know the HD is definitely going to need a replacement sometimes. I also ordered me a memory card reader. I sometimes convert movies to VGA 640 X 480 format to watch on my Axim. I tested these movies out on my T30 with a borrowed card reader and it worked! That's good news for me since I've noticed how noisy the DVD drive is!

The 1 gb will have to wait till sometime in the future. So far I'm just keeping the laptop cooler underneath it at all times when I take it out. Hope it keeps my RAM safe for awhile

[RealBlackStuff]

The T30 can take any RAM module size, 64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024MB(=1GB), in any combination up to 2x 1GB.
So yes, it will work.

[emeraldgirl08]

Got it!

Thanks RBS

[emeraldgirl08]

UPDATE:

I just got my 512MB RAM today. It worked! Now my comp is showing 766 RAM! That makes a huge difference from the 256MB I had since I got my T30. It runs a lot smoother and I can multitask more smoothly With all the usual things I have running while surfing I still hover around 300 MB of available RAM.

I plan on getting a faster hard drive tho. This 4200 RPM business is just rubbish!